The magic of open questions

In order for a telemarketing call to be successful, you need to get people engaged as quickly as possible. The faster you can get someone talking, the easier it will be for you to build a report and begin laying the foundations for a business relationship. However, as a lot of decision makers are incredibly busy throughout the working day, getting them to sit down and talk isn’t always easy.

Over the years, we’ve tried out lots of different ways of getting telemarketing calls off of the ground. We’ve found by far the best method is the ‘open question’. Simple but effective – this tried and tested technique has been helping the Blue Donkey team to achieve outstanding results year after year.

What is an open question?

An open question is a question that can’t be answered with either a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’. It plays on the fact that most people, regardless of how busy they are, don’t want to be impolite on the phone. If you ask them an open question, they’re very unlikely to cut you off and it’s probable they’ll enter into a conversation with you. Once you’ve got them talking, you can direct the dialogue, begin to introduce your business and get your relationship underway.

Examples of an open question

When thinking of open questions to ask, remember that a lot of them begin with ‘who’, ‘why’, or ‘what’. These simple words require an answer that offers a little more information that just a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’. Your open question could be something as simple as asking the decision maker how their day is going. You could also ask what specific challenges their business faces and what services or products could make their life easier. Keep your questions relatively simple so the person you’re talking to doesn’t lose interest halfway through your opener.

Using your open question to gain an insight

As well as helping you to get the decision maker talking, open questions can be used to gain an insight into the person and business you’re trying to connect with. If you ask the right question, it could open up opportunities within the conversation and give you the chance to tailor your pitch to suit the needs of the company you’re calling. Do a little bit of research before you pick up the phone, or as you’re dialling, to identify questions that could lead onto something more. Spending a few minutes looking through the business’ website will also arm you with a better understanding of who they are and what they do, two things that can make a big difference to the success of your call.

Open questions are a simple but powerful telemarketing tool. To learn more about improving your telemarketing technique, or to find out more about what we do, contact a member of our team today.